Every club in the Dutch Eredivisie sits on zero points. No matches played. The standings are, technically, meaningless. And yet the table still asks questions that need answering.
The format is simple: eighteen clubs, one season, one title. But before a ball is kicked, the blank slate has a way of exposing exactly where the pressure points are — because everyone knows the gaps that are coming.
The Title Picture
PSV Eindhoven sit fifth in the current standings, which means precisely nothing. They are alphabetically fifth among clubs with zero points. What it does do is serve as a reminder that PSV enter this season carrying the weight of expectation that comes with being the standard-bearer of recent Dutch football. That weight doesn't appear in the table yet. It will.
Cambuur lead the Eredivisie right now — technically. They share the summit with every other club in the division. For a side that has historically operated closer to the relegation conversation than the title race, sitting "top" is a fleeting pleasure. When points start accumulating, the gap between Cambuur's ceiling and PSV's will become visible quickly.
The Relegation Framing
Telstar and PEC Zwolle are also on zero. Both are clubs that have spent time in the second tier in recent memory. The Eredivisie's relegation system is unforgiving — bottom two go down automatically, third-bottom enters a playoff. For sides with limited squad depth, the opening run of fixtures can define an entire season before October arrives.
Fortuna Sittard round out the bottom three in the current listing. Like Telstar and Zwolle, they have nothing to show yet — and nothing to hide behind either.
The honest read of a pre-season table is this: it tells you who the league thinks will struggle based on resources, squad quality and recent trajectory. The clubs near the bottom of the pre-season conversation rarely end up fighting for the title. The clubs at the top rarely get relegated. Occasionally, one breaks the pattern.
That exception is the only reason to watch the opening weeks closely.